Today, Russia threatened to use nuclear weapons against Poland, which signed a missile defense deal with the United States yesterday. Under the arrangement, the United States will base ten interceptor missiles on Polish territory. “Poland, by deploying, is exposing itself to a strike-100 percent,” said General Anatoly Nogovitsyn. The deputy chief of staff then explained that Russian doctrine permits the use of nuclear weapons against the non-nuclear allies of nuclear states if the allies host strategic deterrence systems.

This is not the first time this year that Russia has announced it might nuke a neighbor. “It is horrible to say and even horrible to think that, in response to the deployment of such facilities in Ukrainian territory, which cannot theoretically be ruled out, Russia could target its missile systems at Ukraine,” Vladimir Putin said this February, referring to missile defense systems. Before this, Russia made similar threats against the Czech Republic, which will host missile defense radar, and Poland. Ukraine is not part of the American plan.

I don’t have the time to write a book this afternoon, so I will not analyze all that is wrong with the Kremlin’s position on the American missile defense plan for Europe. Yet there is one thing that should be said at this moment.

The United States this year has been quiet in the face of Russia’s nuclear threats, ignoring them as if they were not made. Yet Putin has taken American indulgence as a green light to issue even more menacing statements, including today’s against Poland. So before it is too late, the Bush administration should speak clearly to Moscow and affirm in public America’s policy of nuclear deterrence. Possession of the world’s most capable nuclear arsenal is no use if aggressors think we will not use it.

Putin attacked Georgia last week because he thought he could get away with it. Now, the prime minister, through his military, has put us on notice that he might use his nuclear weapons against others. We should not let him think he can do so without grave consequences. I don’t like what I’m writing any more than you do, but this, unfortunately, is the way the world is.

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